In this interactive activity from the University of Utah, explore DNA and the role it plays in determining how our bodies function and what traits we have. In all organisms, the instructions for creating cell structures and for driving vital processe...s such as cell division are encoded in the chemical language of DNA. Take a tour of the basics of genetics and learn about DNA, genes, chromosomes, proteins, and inheritance.[more]

In this interactive activity adapted from the Dolan DNA Learning Center, examine the techniques geneticists use to read a sequence of DNA fragments. Sequencing enables scientists to analyze DNA and ultimately piece together the genomes of living orga...nisms. The activity features Fred Sanger's original sequencing method, developed in 1977, and an automated version of Sanger's method that uses computers to read and interpret data. This newer technique provides a faster and more reliable means of sequencing.[more]

In this interactive activity adapted from the University of Nebraska's Library of Crop Technologies, learn the basic steps of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique used to produce short sections of DNA for analysis. In this technique, various ...components are combined in a microfuge tube and heated in a thermal cycler. The activity details the process, which results in thousands of identical copies of a DNA fragment. Note: The activity provides a simulation of the process. The characterizations of depicted components and their behaviors should not be taken literally.[more]

The answer to the question, "Who are you?" is stored in code. Not on a computer, but inside your body—in your DNA. The more DNA we study, the more we know about where we all came from, and the better we understand the human journey. (02:02)

Paul Rothemund folds DNA into shapes and patterns. Which is a simple enough thing to say, but the process he has developed has vast implications for computing and manufacturing. Rothemund compares genetic programs to computer programs. He uses many e...xamples to explain the molecular programs underlying biology. DNA origami is being used to do complex molecular computations. (16:28)[more]

What is DNA and how does it direct living things? Find out in this short, computer animated video. The video briefly covers the following key concepts: DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA stores information, genes, chromosomes, nucleotides, adenine, cy...tosine, guanine, thymine, DNA and crime fighting, and DNA and animal recovery. The video ends with a 10-question, fill-in-the-blank quiz.[more]

This student-made music video was written to get students excited about the basics of protein synthesis and how proteins can affect phenotypes, including disease phenotypes. Note that very few things in life can actually be "blamed on DNA", and the c...reators of this video don't want the viewer to walk away from this video with that message. Nor are they making light of the seriousness of genetic disease, but simply trying to generate excitement in the learning process. The video includes upbeat music and images that are relevant to students at the high school level. Lyrics are also included at the bottom of the screen. Key vocabulary words also include: protein synthesis, adenine, helix, m-R-N-A, ribosomes, amino acids, thymine, guanine, transcription, translation, and cytosine. (03:14)[more]

DNA contains the genetic information of an organism. It is essential to all living things. The structure and role of the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, are investigated. DNA codes for the arrangement of amino acids in proteins. When the DNA has a mutati...on, it often results in a malfunctioning of proteins which leads to genetic diseases.[more]

This interactive activity adapted from the University of Nebraska provides an overview of protein synthesis as well as a more detailed look at two critical phases of the process: transcription and translation. DNA provides the necessary instructions ...for life, and protein synthesis is the process by which DNA's instructions are enacted.[more]

In this interactive activity from the Dolan DNA Learning Center, learn about gel electrophoresis, the standard technique that makes comparative analysis of DNA samples possible. The activity demonstrates, step by step, the process in which DNA fragme...nts are sorted by size as they move through an electrically charged gel matrix.[more]

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